The "outer building" surrounding Unit 3 of Fukushima I explodes, presumably due to the ignition of built up hydrogen gas, on March 13, 2011. This is the reactor which has the extremely dangerous plutonium-laced MOX fuel. State of the nuclear reactor core remains unknown... (photo enhanced for contrast and enlargement with several layers of noise, sharpening and blurring)

the most critical reactor - No. 3, which has extremely toxic plutonium - stabilized after fire trucks doused it for hours with hundreds of metric tonnes of water, but now the pressure is increasing again... work advanced on bringing power back to water pumps used to cool overheating nuclear fuel, but is taking longer than was hoped for.

UPDATE 12:00 AM 0000 PDT SUNDAY MARCH 20 2011Officials: Pressure rises again in Japan reactor
FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) [Mar. 20, 2011 3:22 AM ET] — Japan prepared another risky venting of radioactive gas to relieve a new spike in pressure in one of its troubled nuclear reactors Sunday, a setback in efforts to bring the crippled, leaking plant under control just after some signs of improvement.

The planned release into the air of what officials said would be a densely radioactive cloud comes as traces of radiation are turning up well beyond the leaking Fukushima Dai-ichi plant after its cooling systems were knocked by the massive March 11 quake and tsunami on Japan's northeast coast.

Radiation has seeped into the food supply, with spinach and milk from as far as 75 miles (120 kilometers) showing levels of iodine in excess of safety limits. Minuscule amounts are being found in tap water in Tokyo and rainfall and dust over a wider area. Taiwan even reported receiving a batch of contaminated fava beans imported from Japan.

"Technicians prepared to vent radioactive gas into the air Sunday because of a new spike in pressure at Japan’s crippled, leaking nuclear complex, while a safety official said protective iodine pills should have been distributed near the plant days earlier."

"...But later Sunday, Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said pressure inside the No. 3 reactor was rising despite tons of water sprayed over the weekend. He said that pressure had to be released to prevent the vessel containment chamber from cracking. Nishiyama didn't offer a reason for the pressure buildup.

In one potentially hopeful development, officials said they planned to test high voltage power lines as early as Sunday afternoon that would restore operations to cooling equipment at damaged reactors Nos. 1 and 2...."

EnviroReporter.com’s Radiation Station
- live shot of a RadAlert Inspector Nuclear Radiation Monitor in EnviroReporter.com‘s Santa Monica office on the West Los Angeles border.Google Crisis Response
Google has set up a page which is being updated continuously to provide the latest information about this crisis, resources for those affected, and ways to contribute to relief efforts in Japan.

Reactor 2: Damage to the core, prompted by a blast on Tuesday, helped prompt raising of the nuclear alert level

Reactor 3: Contains plutonium, core damaged by explosion on Monday; roof blown off building; water level in fuel pools said to be dangerously low

Reactor 4: Hit by explosion on Tuesday, fire on Wednesday; roof blown off building; water level in fuel pools said to be dangerously low

Reactors 5 & 6: Spent fuel pool temperatures way above normal levels

New progress, worries in Japan nuclear crisis
LA Times: Reporting from Tokyo and Miyako, Japan —
Japan took a step toward possibly getting its nuclear disaster under control Sunday as electricity to power some reactor cooling systems was restored and previous efforts to lower reactor temperatures with seawater at the battered Fukushima atomic energy plant appeared to have had an effect.

As electricity is partially restored at the Fukushima nuclear plant, a new pressure buildup is seen in one reactor. Meanwhile, above-normal levels of radiation are found in food and water. The number of dead or missing in Japan's disaster now exceeds 20,000.

The company said it was hopeful of restoring electricity to the No. 1 and 2 units as early as Sunday, but it remained to be seen whether that would restart the cooling system for those reactors, given the extent of their damage.

But the increased optimism by Japanese officials and Western scientists alike was tempered by a pressure buildup at one of the plant's six reactors and a newly emerging crisis — radiation contamination was found in some food and water supplies in a nation already suffering from a cascade of troubles.

"I don't think it is a sure thing at all. All the reactors were exposed to shock, so who knows if the piping is still intact?" said Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington... Lyman and other experts nonetheless took the restoration of power as an optimistic sign. It "is absolutely a turning point" in the battle to cool the reactors, USC nuclear physicist Najmedin Meshkati said.

But later Sunday, Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said pressure inside the No. 3 reactor was rising despite tons of water sprayed over the weekend. He said that pressure had to be released to prevent the vessel containment chamber from cracking. Nishiyama didn't offer a reason for the pressure buildup.

In one potentially hopeful development, officials said they planned to test high voltage power lines as early as Sunday afternoon that would restore operations to cooling equipment at damaged reactors Nos. 1 and 2.

The 1,200 tons of water sprayed on the storage pool of unit 3 seems to be having a positive impact. The Nuclear Industry and Safety Agency (NISA) reported that, 500 meters from the plant, the radiation level decreased from 3,443 microsieverts per hour to 2,906 microsieverts per hour; however, detailed analysis is still needed.

Meanwhile, units 1 and 2 are now connected to the grid. The equipment needs to be checked whether it is in working order.

Sunday, March 20, 12 a.m. ET, Tokyo

TEPCO press conference: The special rescue team and the Special Defense Forces spent more than 10 hours spraying water, and their heroic efforts seem to have a positive impact. Radiation level near the plant (500 meters away) decreased from 3,443 microsieverts per hour last night to 2,625 microsieverts per hour this morning. Meanwhile, Ibaraki prefecture announced it would stop distributing spinach. Food contamination issue is now emerging...

No. 1: Workers are ready to restore power to the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama said on NHK Television today. The reactor was damaged on March 12 by a hydrogen explosion that destroyed the building walls. The reactor is rated level five in terms of threat on an international scale of 1-7.

No. 2: Engineers hope to use the power cable attached to the No. 2 reactor as a hub to restore electricity to the other five reactors, Tokyo Electric said. A March 15 explosion may have damaged the containment chamber. The reactor is rated a level five threat.

No. 3: Firefighters sprayed to control the reactor between 2 p.m. yesterday and 3:40 a.m. today, NHK reported. Similar actions March 18 managed to replenish water in the spent-fuel pool. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the radiation level has dropped near the reactor. The reading fell to 2,906 microsieverts per hour at 9 p.m. yesterday, down from 3,443 microsieverts per hour seven hours earlier, NHK said. A March 14 explosion damaged the unit’s fuel cover. The reactor is rated a level five threat.

No. 4: This reactor was undergoing maintenance when the March 11 quake struck. A fire broke out in the pond containing spent-fuel rods. The nuclear agency said March 17 there may be no water in the cooling pool. Japanese Self-Defense Forces sprayed water on the reactor this morning. Another dousing is expected in the afternoon, NHK said. Rated four in terms of threat.

No. 5: The temperature in the spent fuel pool fell to 37.1 degrees Celsius, as of 7 a.m., Kyodo News said. The temperature was 67.6 degrees 9 a.m. yesterday, Kyodo said. Temperatures should be kept below 25 degrees Celsius, according to IAEA guidelines. The unit was idle for maintenance before the earthquake.

No. 6: The temperature in the spent fuel pool fell to 41 degrees Celsius, as of 7 a.m., Kyodo News. A backup generator was fixed yesterday, according to a company press release. There’s no concern over water levels at the reactor and the company believes there hasn’t been any leakage of coolant in the unit’s containment vessel. The unit was idle for maintenance before the earthquake.

▪ 11 March: 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC): Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The Japanese government declared a nuclear power emergency due to the failure of the reactor cooling systems in reactors of Fukushima I and evacuated thousands of residents living with 2 km of the reactor.[14][15]

▪ 12 March: while evidence of partial meltdown of the fuel rods in unit 1 was growing, a hydrogen explosion destroyed the upper section of the building housing unit 1. The explosion injured four workers, but the reactor containment inside the building remained intact.[16][17] Hydrogen and steam had been vented from the reactor to reduce pressure within the containment vessel and built up within the building.[18][19] Operators of the plant began using sea water for emergency cooling, which would permanently damage the reactor.[20] The evacuation zone was extended to 20 km, affecting 170,000–200,000 people, and the government advised residents within a further 10 km to stay indoors.[21][22] The release of fission products from the damaged reactor core, notably radioactive iodine-131, led Japanese officials to distribute prophylactic iodine to people living around Fukushima I and Fukushima II.[23] but only one worker was confirmed to be ill. The US government offered to provide technical assistance in dismantling the fuel rods at plants in which the cooling systems were having problems before the fuel began to overheat, but the offer was refused by the Japanese government.[24]

▪ 13 March: a partial meltdown was possible at unit 3. As of 13:00 JST, both reactors 1 and 3 were being vented and re-filled with water and boric acid to reduce temperatures and inhibit further nuclear reactions.[25] Unit 2 was possibly suffering lower than normal water level but was thought to be stable, although pressure inside the containment vessel was high.[25] The Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced that it was rating the situation at unit 1 as level 4 (accident with local consequences) on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.[26][27]

▪ 14 March: the reactor building for unit 3 exploded[28] injuring eleven people. There was no release of radioactive material beyond that already being vented but blast damage affected water supply to unit 2.[29] The president of the French nuclear safety authority, Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN), said that the accident should be rated as a 5 (accident with wider consequences) or even a 6 (serious accident) on INES.[30]

▪ 15 March: damage to temporary cooling systems on unit 2 by the explosion in unit 3 plus problems with its venting system meant that water could not be added, to the extent that unit 2 was in the most severe condition of the three reactors.[31] An explosion in the "pressure suppression room" caused some damage to unit 2’s containment system.[31][32] A fire broke out at unit 4 involving spent fuel rods from the reactor, which are normally kept in the water-filled spent fuel pool to prevent overheating. Radiation levels at the plant rose significantly but subsequently fell back.[33] Radiation equivalent dose rates at one location in the vicinity of unit 3 recorded 400 millisieverts per hour (400 mSv/h).[34][35][26]

▪ 16 March: At approximately 14:30 on 16 March, TEPCO announced its belief that the fuel rod storage pool of unit 4—which is located outside the containment area[36]-may have begun boiling, raising the possibility that exposed rods could reach criticality.[37] By midday, NHK TV was reporting white smoke rising from the Fukushima I plant, which officials suggested was likely coming from reactor 3. Shortly afterwards, all but a small group[38] of remaining workers at the plant had been placed on standby because of the dangerously rising levels of radioactivity up to 1,000 mSv/h.[6][39] TEPCO had temporarily suspended operations at the facility due to radiation spikes and had pulled all their employees out.[40] A TEPCO press release stated that workers had been withdrawn at 06:00 JST because of abnormal noises coming from one of the reactor pressure suppression chambers.[41] Late in the evening, Reuters reported that water was being poured into reactors 5 and 6.[42]

▪ 17 March: During the morning, Self-Defense Force helicopters four times dropped water on the spent fuel pools of units 3 and 4.[43] In the afternoon it was reported that the unit 4 spent fuel pool was full with water and none of the fuel rods was exposed.[44] Construction work was started to supply a working external electrical power source to all six units of Fukushima I.[45] Starting at 7 pm, police and fire water trucks with high pressure hoses attempted to spray water into the unit 3 reactor.[46] Japanese authorities informed the IAEA that engineers were laying an external grid power line cable to unit 2. The operation was continuing as of 20:30 UTC.[26]
Tokyo Fire Department water tower vehicle, similar to those being used to cool the upper floors of the Fukushima site

▪ 18 March: Pursuant to a request from Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, Tokyo Fire Department dispatched thirty fire engines with 139 fire-fighters and trained rescue team at approximately 03:00 JST. These include a fire truck with a 22 m water tower; all units will join Japan Defense Forces fire equipment which is already deployed.[47] JDF anticipated utilizing TFD equipment to address low water which was confirmed to exist in unit 4 and also an emergent concern with unit 3, which appeared to be more problematic than previously believed. Winds were forecast to shift to the northeast, which would continue to be toward the sea.[48] For the second consecutive day, high radiation levels had been detected in an area 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northwest of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The reading was 150 microsieverts per hour.[49] Japanese authorities upgraded INES ratings for cooling loss and core damage at unit 1 to level 5 and issued the same rating for units 2 and 3.[26] The loss of fuel pool cooling water at unit 4 was classified as level 3.[26] It was anticipated to restore power to units 1 and 2 on 19 March and the other units on 20 March.[50] The president of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO.[51] In a 24-period ending at 11 am local time, radiation levels near the plant had declined from 351.4 microsieverts per hour to 265 microsieverts per hour, but it was unclear if the water spraying efforts was the cause of the decrease.[52]

▪ 19 March: A second group of 100 Tokyo firefighters replaced the previous team. They used a vehicle that can project water from a height of 22 meters for cooling spent nuclear fuel storage pool inside the reactor of Unit 3.[53] Water was sprayed into the reactor for a total of 7 hours during the day. TEPCO reported afterwards that the water had been effective in lowering the temperature around the spent fuel rods to below 100 °C.[54][verification needed]

▪ 20 March: Restored emergency power to the spent fuel pond cooling systems for units 5 and 6
have brought the unit 5 pond temperature down from 68.8 °C to 43.1 °C and the unit 6 pond temperature down from 67.5 °C to 52 °C as of 03:00 JST.[55]
TEPCO announced that pressure in reactor 3's containment vessel is rising, and that it may be necessary to vent air containing radioactive particles to relieve pressure, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported as of 1:06, Sunday 20 March. [56]

Thyroid cancer for sure. Leukemia, probably. Too much radiation can raise the risk of developing cancer years down the road, scientists agree, and the young are most vulnerable. But just how much or how long an exposure is risky is not clear.

Those are among the unknowns scientists are contemplating as the crisis unfolds at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant.
In Japan, the Science Ministry said radiation levels about 19 miles northwest of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant rose at one point Friday to 0.15 millisieverts per hour, about the amount absorbed in a chest X-ray. But levels have been fluctuating, and radiation at most sites that distance from the facility have been far below that.

Long term, it is clear radiation can induce cancer. But researchers can't just count cancer cases after a disaster and declare radiation responsible. Rates before and after must be compared to know if more cases occurred than would be expected.

That is why, 25 years after the Chernobyl accident, there is still controversy over its effects beyond the undisputed 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer. Of these cases, only 15 had proved fatal as of 2005, even though the Soviets were slow to treat victims of the catastrophe.

...the increased optimism by Japanese officials and Western scientists alike was tempered by a pressure buildup at one of the plant's six reactors and a newly emerging crisis — radiation contamination was found in some food and water supplies in a nation already suffering from a cascade of troubles.

The idea of smothering and sealing Japan's overheated nuclear reactors in sand or concrete to stop the crisis is appealing. But experts say that it's too early for something that desperate and that it could be a big mistake that could make matters worse.

Most urge continuing the current efforts to cool the radioactive material, and at least one suggested massive spraying to hold down radioactive dust.

Fires, explosions or partial meltdowns have struck four of the six reactor units at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant. There are few options for stopping the dangerous overheating of nuclear materials there. Military fire trucks sprayed tons of water Friday, and workers hope to restart cooling systems once a new power line is installed.

Reporters in Japan raised the notion Friday of sealing the reactors and fuel rods in concrete as an emergency measure. But officials with Japan's nuclear safety agency and the plant's operator did not embrace the idea.

"We believe it is not a realistic option," said Hidehiko Nishiyama of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. And Teruaki Kobayashi, a manager at the Tokyo Electric Power Co., said the utility would not rule out entombing the reactors but thinks the probability is low.
It's true that concrete tombs may someday stand at the troubled nuclear complex, one expert said, but only as a long-term strategy once the radiation has cooled.

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Einstein said,
"The splitting
of the atom
changed everything
save man's mode
of thinking;
thus we drift towards
unparalleled catastrophe."
He also said,
"Nuclear power is a hell of a way
to boil water!"

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